Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Puffin Bks (2010)
Description
In the late nineteenth century, when Conor Broekhart discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king, he is branded a traitor, imprisoned, and forced to mine for diamonds under brutal conditions while he plans a daring escape from Little Saltee prison by way of a flying machine that he must design, build, and, hardest of all, trust to carry him to safety.
User reviews
LibraryThing member KarenBall
"Conor Broekhart was born to fly; or, more accurately, he was born flying."Great first line for this historical fiction novel from one of the best YA authors on the planet. Conor literally was born in the midst of a hot air balloon accident at the World's Fair in Paris in 1878. His father is
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captain of the Sharpshooters on the Saltee Islands, an independent realm on a small pair of islands just off the Irish coast. Conor's best friend is Princess Isabella, the only child of the king. When the king is assassinated, Conor is framed and thrown into a nightmarish prison where the inmates mine for diamonds and are literally worked to death. Conor has always dreamed of flying and creating a flying machine -- and now that's his only possibility of escaping from his island prison -- but can he trust his creation and design? A fantastic adventure with great characters and all manner of plot twists! Highly recommended for absolutely everyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member broadbear
could be much more interesting
LibraryThing member hjjugovic
In a departure from his fantasy series (Artemis Fowl), Colfer writes a really great historical-ish fiction, which I think has been marketed as young adult but is perfectly satisfying for an adult. Airman tells the story of a young man, obsessed with flight in the days before flight, who lives on an
As usual for Colfer, the characters are great, the plot well-formed, and the tidbits of personal values and interesting facts worthwhile. Colfer has the knack of writing an exciting story while teaching good values without sounding preachy. He never sees the necessity of lowering himself to needless violence to keep his audience interested.
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obscure island kingdom and goes through a journey of self-discovery when his life is turned upside down by a fearsome enemy. As usual for Colfer, the characters are great, the plot well-formed, and the tidbits of personal values and interesting facts worthwhile. Colfer has the knack of writing an exciting story while teaching good values without sounding preachy. He never sees the necessity of lowering himself to needless violence to keep his audience interested.
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LibraryThing member jcorrea
This is another great book by Eoin Colfer. I have read his Artemis Fowl series, and this is a refreshing work with similar prose and storytelling by a talented writer. The characters are easy and fun to relate to; and his imagery so vivid, one can easily lose themselves in this story of mystery and
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ingenuity. A definite must read. Show Less
LibraryThing member shiunji
What a lovely, knightly tale of boy-ish adventures. Though a swift pace from the start, Colfer intensifies our pathos for young Conor's struggles later in the book by showing us the charmed and magical days of his childhood.
Not a spoiler per se, but this might spoil the book for you - were it not
Nevertheless an unstoppable read!
Not a spoiler per se, but this might spoil the book for you - were it not
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for the somewhat repeated sentiments and overly straightforward monologues which makes some of the characters a bit 2-dimensional, this would have scored a 5. Nevertheless an unstoppable read!
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LibraryThing member EndsWell
My 9 year-old listened to this raptly, and I also read it. Conor is a very different hero than Artemis (Colfer's well-known hero, anti-hero from his Artemis Fowl series) in some respects - more traditional, I guess - but I warmed to him easily and enjoyed his tale.
LibraryThing member parkridgeya
In the late nineteenth century, when Conor Broekhart discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king, he is branded a traitor, imprisoned, and forced to mine for diamonds under brutal conditions while he plans a daring escape from Little Saltee prison by way of a flying machine that he must design,
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build, and, hardest of all, trust to carry him to safety. Show Less
LibraryThing member frazrat
Fabulous story. Descriptive and moving, Part fairytale, part adventure, part survival story. Great for all genders and ages. One of the best stories I read this summer!
LibraryThing member 9ir01bev
So far I think Airman is very exciting and I hope it has a good ending.Airman is ar it's worth 16.0 ar points and abook level of 5.8.
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Conor Broekhart is born flying - literally. Conor's mother and father went for a hot air balloon ride when someone took a shot at the balloon. The shock sent his mother into premature labor and Conor was born before they touched the ground.
Despite his charmed beginning, things go very wrong for
I really enjoyed this one. I am just so impressed by Eion Colfer. He is a truly versatile writer. Artemis Fowl is a crazy twist on fantasy/sci fi. Then he writes a modern buddy story in Benny and Omar. Half Moon Investigations is a detective story. And now this is an exciting adventure. 4/5 stars.
Despite his charmed beginning, things go very wrong for
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Conor later. His family lives in the castle of a small island fortress. When Conor uncovers a plot to assassinate their king, the man responsible, Count Bonvilain, frames Conor and has him thrown into the castle prison. Conor then spends years coming up with a way to escape and seek revenge.I really enjoyed this one. I am just so impressed by Eion Colfer. He is a truly versatile writer. Artemis Fowl is a crazy twist on fantasy/sci fi. Then he writes a modern buddy story in Benny and Omar. Half Moon Investigations is a detective story. And now this is an exciting adventure. 4/5 stars.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
This was an enjoyable adventure. Set in the interesting time when science was beginning to come to the fore, there is still a healthy dose of palace intrigue and treachery. I especially enjoyed the narrator!
LibraryThing member vernefan
As a reader of many young adult novels, I was never able to get into the author's Artemis Fowl series although I know they are popular. However, I have to give high praise, two thumbs up and five stars to this fabulous and unique adventure story for boys and men of all ages. This a wonderful
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coming-of-age story of a young man with a scientific mind and a dream of being the first man to fly. Trained in science, fencing, martial arts, and raised with a high education, our young hero Conn, while saving his princess damsel from death, soon is betrayed and framed for murder and sent to prison where there he plots escape and spends years inventing his future dream machine. Great characters of good and bad, high action and adventure, a little romance, and lots of cool flying. This is truly outstanding and a pleasant change of pace from the author's other styles of writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member coolguy3
Airman was a great book to read. This book got my attention right away. The story follows the main character Conor Broekhart a young man who was born to fly, in fact he was even born flying in a hot air balloon. At the beginning Conor is a young boy who would always play with the princess but,
Then one night Conor witnessed the murder of the king and his beloved tutor. Conor was accused of murder of the king and his tutor. Conor was sent to jail with a new name Conor Finn to keep away any suspicions of the real murderer. At the jail Conor wants to get revenge on the real murderer so he has to find away to escape. This is Conor’s true challenge nobody has ever escaped from this prison. Will Conor be the first to escape or will he be one of the countless others who have died trying?
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after a tragic accident Conor has to save the princess. The king was so proud of Conor that he gave him a special tutor. Conor learned from this tutor for some time in martial arts, fencing, poetry, and of course aerodynamics.Then one night Conor witnessed the murder of the king and his beloved tutor. Conor was accused of murder of the king and his tutor. Conor was sent to jail with a new name Conor Finn to keep away any suspicions of the real murderer. At the jail Conor wants to get revenge on the real murderer so he has to find away to escape. This is Conor’s true challenge nobody has ever escaped from this prison. Will Conor be the first to escape or will he be one of the countless others who have died trying?
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LibraryThing member rebachin
My thoughts:
This book caught me by suprise - from the get-go.
There were a few perfectly placed moments of humor in the first part of the book which helped set a positive mood to balance out the bits of count-of-monte-cristo-esque injustice later on.
I think that is probably my favorite thing about
The good guys were good. The bad guys were bad. The funny parts were funny, the sad parts were sad, the adventurous parts were adventurous, the technical parts were quite technical.
The story was good.
About the book:
Conor Broekhart was born to fly. In fact, legend has it that he was born flying, in a hot air balloon at the Paris World’s Fair.
In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king. When Conor tries to intervene, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life, as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.
There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So Conor passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines on the prison walls. The months turn into years; but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the skies.
rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book caught me by suprise - from the get-go.
There were a few perfectly placed moments of humor in the first part of the book which helped set a positive mood to balance out the bits of count-of-monte-cristo-esque injustice later on.
I think that is probably my favorite thing about
Show More
the book - as boring as it sounds - the balance. For the record it was not at all a boring book!The good guys were good. The bad guys were bad. The funny parts were funny, the sad parts were sad, the adventurous parts were adventurous, the technical parts were quite technical.
The story was good.
About the book:
Conor Broekhart was born to fly. In fact, legend has it that he was born flying, in a hot air balloon at the Paris World’s Fair.
In the 1890s Conor and his family live on the sovereign Saltee Islands, off the Irish coast. Conor spends his days studying the science of flight with his tutor and exploring the castle with the king’s daughter, Princess Isabella. But the boy’s idyllic life changes forever the day he discovers a deadly conspiracy against the king. When Conor tries to intervene, he is branded a traitor and thrown into jail on the prison island of Little Saltee. There, he has to fight for his life, as he and the other prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in inhumane conditions.
There is only one way to escape Little Saltee, and that is to fly. So Conor passes the solitary months by scratching drawings of flying machines on the prison walls. The months turn into years; but eventually the day comes when Conor must find the courage to trust his revolutionary designs and take to the skies.
rating: 5 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member elizardkwik
This was an amazing book, easily my favorite read of the year so far. I loved the good characters, hated the bad characters, and didn't want the book to end. Filled with action, adventure, a unique setting, history, conflict, a musician, some gold, and so much more, I cannot recommend this book
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enough. Show Less
LibraryThing member annamariie
Princesses, Pirates & Flying, oh my! Okay, so there aren't really any pirates, but 'greedy, sneaky, back-stabbing guards', didn't have the same ring. For me Airman was good, but slightly boring. Rightfully, this could be my own fault though. When I read a book I'm interested most in the progression
Like most others the reason I know of Eoin Colfer is because of his very highly acclaimed series Artemis Fowl which I happen to LOVE, and like in Artemis Fowl, in Airman he takes a world that we already know (Little Saltee & Great Saltee are real!), and transforms it into a world of imagination, be it gnomes, fae and the like (as in Artemis Fowl), or princesses, kingdoms and greedy guards (as in Airman). His worlds are always ones that I would find myself fortunate to live in!
The characters in Airman are well thought out and developed, we learn a lot about all of them, except one, and that's the only downfall (other then the time the character spends alone) to the book. Isabella is the King's daughter, and Conor's love interest, and through out the entire book we learn very very little about her. But through the middle of the book, during the time Conor spends on Little Saltee, other then him remembering her we learn absolutely nothing about her. So it would have been nice to learn more about Isabella, since she was in her way, a main character.
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of the story as well as the interaction between the characters, so when a book has sections - like this one does - where the character is by themselves for pages at a time, I get a little restless. Having said that though, the book and the story were solid.Like most others the reason I know of Eoin Colfer is because of his very highly acclaimed series Artemis Fowl which I happen to LOVE, and like in Artemis Fowl, in Airman he takes a world that we already know (Little Saltee & Great Saltee are real!), and transforms it into a world of imagination, be it gnomes, fae and the like (as in Artemis Fowl), or princesses, kingdoms and greedy guards (as in Airman). His worlds are always ones that I would find myself fortunate to live in!
The characters in Airman are well thought out and developed, we learn a lot about all of them, except one, and that's the only downfall (other then the time the character spends alone) to the book. Isabella is the King's daughter, and Conor's love interest, and through out the entire book we learn very very little about her. But through the middle of the book, during the time Conor spends on Little Saltee, other then him remembering her we learn absolutely nothing about her. So it would have been nice to learn more about Isabella, since she was in her way, a main character.
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LibraryThing member edella
Conor Broekhart was born to fly. Or, more accurately, he was born flying. Little wonder he became what he became. In an age of discovery and invention, many dreamed of flying, but for Conor flight was more than just a dream, it was his destiny. In one dark night on the island of Great Saltee, a
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cruel and cunning betrayal destroyed his life and stole his future. Now Conor must win the race for flight, to save his family and to right a terrible wrong . . . Swashbuckling new fiction from the amazing Eoin Colfer, ideal for readers aged 10+. Show Less
LibraryThing member Shadowz112
Airman is a wonderful book full of adventure staged by a young inventor that wishes to be the first man to fly. Conor Broekhart is a young boy living on the island of Great Saltee. He was born in an air balloon and always loved heights. His father is capain of the Saltee sharpshooters and is a
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personal friend of the island's king, Nicholas. One day, Conor was going to ask his teacher, Victor Vigny, about some of his glider plans but when he reached his apartment, he saw Vigny being shot by Bonvilion, the marshall. Bonvilion saw young Broekhart and decided that he should not be allowed to speak against him so young Conor was thrown in jail as a spy. The rest of the story is filled with sharp wit and loads of action. It's an excellent read for people of all ages. Show Less
LibraryThing member beserene
I felt really compelled to keep reading once I got into this book, which surprised me because it's not the top of my list for Colfer's books -- I like the Artemis Fowl series, but didn't expect to find myself so thoroughly engrossed in a steampunky YA novel about flying machines and espionage. Then
Well, it turns out they are. Above all, this novel has sheer strength of story -- you just want to find out what happens so you keep turning pages -- and even though it owes a lot to the Young People's edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, I think it stands up well on its own, even against Colfer's more popular books. The ending isn't blindingly original, but the action sure is satisfying. :)
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again, now as I write this, steampunk, flying machines and espionage sound pretty good.Well, it turns out they are. Above all, this novel has sheer strength of story -- you just want to find out what happens so you keep turning pages -- and even though it owes a lot to the Young People's edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, I think it stands up well on its own, even against Colfer's more popular books. The ending isn't blindingly original, but the action sure is satisfying. :)
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LibraryThing member wislibwiz
This was a great read - hard to put down! I wonder if there will be a sequel / series? I think he has left it open for one.
LibraryThing member dvincent
Brilliant book!
I love Eoin Colfer books! If your searching for a book that has action, speed, fluency, a complex plot and, is funny... This, is the book for you.
I love Eoin Colfer books! If your searching for a book that has action, speed, fluency, a complex plot and, is funny... This, is the book for you.
LibraryThing member savageknight
Sadly, this book was a big disappointment. Especially based on the fact that I was *SO* enjoying the first 3 chapters that when the "boom" finally happened and the villain revealed... it completely fell apart for me. Suddenly, the main character was not at all acting like the smart and clever
Connor surviving 2 years in the dungeon was no-less believable but by that time I stopped caring and started simply skimming. This was definitely not Artemis Fowl and as much as I wanted to care about all the "good guys" I just couldn't. It was all "fiction" to me in that I could not "suspend disbelief"
I'm glad I bought this on sale. I would have felt doubly-cheated had I paid full price for it.
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person I was introduced to. All the other characters faded into the background and the villainy increased in the dungeons.Connor surviving 2 years in the dungeon was no-less believable but by that time I stopped caring and started simply skimming. This was definitely not Artemis Fowl and as much as I wanted to care about all the "good guys" I just couldn't. It was all "fiction" to me in that I could not "suspend disbelief"
I'm glad I bought this on sale. I would have felt doubly-cheated had I paid full price for it.
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LibraryThing member adpaton
Colfer has outdone himself in Airman, the exciting tale of Conor Broekhart: it is his best book to date and far outstrips the Artemis Fowl series.
An old-fashioned romance, this story has it all: mysterious islands, a beautiful princess, a mediaeval castle, a ghastly prison and a wonderfully evil
Conor is a perfect hero in true 19th Century mold – clever and courageous, using his ingenuity to escape unjust captivity, and returning in the nick of time to save his family and his true love! A wonderful book, ideal for anyone between the ages of nine and ninety.
Castles IN THE AIR
Eoin Colfer — king of Irish children’s fiction — has imagineered a work of characteristic joie de vivre, writes Aubrey Paton
‘I always wanted to write about the misty islands I saw from my window’
WHAT strange creature wings its way over the stormy Atlantic Ocean to the mysterious, mist-enshrouded islands of Saltee? Is it some huge, atavistic bird from the prehistoric past? Or could it be a dark angel, sent from the devil to claim the evil soul of Marshall Bonvilain, who has sinister plans for the beautiful young princess of Saltee ...
Neither of the above: it is the “Airman”, young Conor Broekhart, who — having escaped the ancient prison on Lesser Saltee — has invented a flying suit and is determined to rescue his family and his beloved from the villain’s clutches. Steampunk, ingenuity, a dash of romance and plenty of atmosphere are the hallmarks of Eoin Colfer’s most recent book.
Eoin — pronounced Owen: (do the Irish not know how to spell, or is it a deliberate ploy to make the rest of us feel stupid when we stammer over their names?) — assures me he had no need to kiss the Blarney Stone, because he was born with the gift of the gab (like all Irishmen). He certainly has more than his fair share of Irish charm and — considering the enormous advance he received for his first book — the luck of the Irish. A hugely successful writer, a great public speaker, a big hit with children and possessed of magnificent blue eyes, Colfer is a giant in every sense but the literal: he is as petite and magical as one of his elven characters.
Artemis Fowl is known to discerning readers everywhere as the young Irish criminal genius who initially steals from the fairy folk, but ends up as their ally: South African fans had a chance to meet his creator recently at the Exclusive Books Children’s Festival in Johannesburg.
Youngsters came from as far away as Rustenburg, and Colfer did not disappoint: irreverent stories and anecdotes, memories of his days as a teacher, lashings of humour and a sprinkling of scatology added to a genuine interest in the opinions and questions from the audience, and kept the small crowd of children enthralled and entertained.
Like most writers, Colfer’s imagination is stimulated by what he observes: his latest book, Airman, is set on the Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland. There is, unfortunately, no Kingdom of Saltee, but the idea came from observations he made as a child.
“From my parent’s bedroom window upstairs I could see these mysterious islands: they were often covered in shadowy mist, and I always wanted to write about them.”
An avid reader, young Colfer soon ran out of suitable children’s books to read and was forced into a premature move to adult fare — John Buchan, Frederick Forsyth, Jack Higgins and Alistair Maclean were just some of the writers whose action thrillers inspired the books he was later to write himself.
Colfer greatly admires Mark Twain, most especially the book Huckleberry Finn, regarding Huck as youth literature’s first anti-hero, and the first fictional character with whom he truly identified.
Colfer’s own anti-hero, Artemis Fowl, has now appeared in graphic format, winning several awards: a huge fan of the graphic novel, he cites Hellboy as his favourite. “I see the series as marrying action adventure, the supernatural, and redemption to create a perfect formula”. A bit, then, like Artemis Fowl.
Airman is a far cry from the mixture of magic, mayhem and technology Fowl fans have come to expect: set in the late 19th century it is a traditional romantic adventure featuring heroes and villains, palaces and prisons — and even a beautiful princess. The hero, Conor Broekhart (the surname is Flemish and Colfer chanced upon it while investigating his own Flemish roots) was born in a hot-air balloon, and always yearned to return to that element.
Unlike Conor, Colfer’s youthful ambitions did not include flying: he wanted to be a private investigator. “But I was rubbish at it,’ he admits. “In the end I had to commit the crimes myself so I could solve them successfully”.
The gravitas of the interview is quickly dispersed by a series of fantasy questions some authors find irritating but other’s delight in — fortunately Colfer is among the latter.
His response to a guest list for a convivial dinner party of Colfer characters contains surprising omissions; Artemis Fowl and Conor are given the slip — and, luckily for the other guests — Colfer’s personal favourite, the explosively flatulent dwarf Mulch Diggins (Artemis Fowl).
“The party would be held at Fowl Manor, and Butler (Artemis Fowl) would do all the cooking. The first guests would be Cosmo and Mona from The Supernaturalist: poor Cosmo has had such a hard life the party would be a real treat for him.
“I would also invite Princess Isabella (Airman) — she’s a kind young lady and would put Cosmo at ease and show him what cutlery to use. The final guest would be Victor (Airman), who is full of great stories.
“And in the background, I’d have David Bowie’s greatest hits playing — in fact, since this is a fantasy, I’d have Bowie himself, performing his songs live.”
Returning to his most popular character, Artemis Fowl, I ask what the criminal genius has on his iPod: Artemis is not a fan of modern music it seems, but he is fond of Carmina Burana, Mozart, and some operas — notably Bellini’s Norma (although not as performed by Maria Callas).
His Facebook picture? Not a portrait of himself, but some anti-nuclear symbol is most likely because Artemis is an enthusiastic environmental campaigner. And his cellphone ringtone?
“Well, Artemis has quite a sense of humour so I think he uses the Harry Potter theme tune as his ringtone ... ”
And on that note, we leave the slight grey-haired man with the mournful and mesmeric eyes to sip his mineral water. Colfer the comedian had the children eating out of his hands: Eoin the Adult seems to exercise the same enchantment. Perhaps elven magic is the only explanation.
An old-fashioned romance, this story has it all: mysterious islands, a beautiful princess, a mediaeval castle, a ghastly prison and a wonderfully evil
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villain. Conor is a perfect hero in true 19th Century mold – clever and courageous, using his ingenuity to escape unjust captivity, and returning in the nick of time to save his family and his true love! A wonderful book, ideal for anyone between the ages of nine and ninety.
Castles IN THE AIR
Eoin Colfer — king of Irish children’s fiction — has imagineered a work of characteristic joie de vivre, writes Aubrey Paton
‘I always wanted to write about the misty islands I saw from my window’
WHAT strange creature wings its way over the stormy Atlantic Ocean to the mysterious, mist-enshrouded islands of Saltee? Is it some huge, atavistic bird from the prehistoric past? Or could it be a dark angel, sent from the devil to claim the evil soul of Marshall Bonvilain, who has sinister plans for the beautiful young princess of Saltee ...
Neither of the above: it is the “Airman”, young Conor Broekhart, who — having escaped the ancient prison on Lesser Saltee — has invented a flying suit and is determined to rescue his family and his beloved from the villain’s clutches. Steampunk, ingenuity, a dash of romance and plenty of atmosphere are the hallmarks of Eoin Colfer’s most recent book.
Eoin — pronounced Owen: (do the Irish not know how to spell, or is it a deliberate ploy to make the rest of us feel stupid when we stammer over their names?) — assures me he had no need to kiss the Blarney Stone, because he was born with the gift of the gab (like all Irishmen). He certainly has more than his fair share of Irish charm and — considering the enormous advance he received for his first book — the luck of the Irish. A hugely successful writer, a great public speaker, a big hit with children and possessed of magnificent blue eyes, Colfer is a giant in every sense but the literal: he is as petite and magical as one of his elven characters.
Artemis Fowl is known to discerning readers everywhere as the young Irish criminal genius who initially steals from the fairy folk, but ends up as their ally: South African fans had a chance to meet his creator recently at the Exclusive Books Children’s Festival in Johannesburg.
Youngsters came from as far away as Rustenburg, and Colfer did not disappoint: irreverent stories and anecdotes, memories of his days as a teacher, lashings of humour and a sprinkling of scatology added to a genuine interest in the opinions and questions from the audience, and kept the small crowd of children enthralled and entertained.
Like most writers, Colfer’s imagination is stimulated by what he observes: his latest book, Airman, is set on the Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland. There is, unfortunately, no Kingdom of Saltee, but the idea came from observations he made as a child.
“From my parent’s bedroom window upstairs I could see these mysterious islands: they were often covered in shadowy mist, and I always wanted to write about them.”
An avid reader, young Colfer soon ran out of suitable children’s books to read and was forced into a premature move to adult fare — John Buchan, Frederick Forsyth, Jack Higgins and Alistair Maclean were just some of the writers whose action thrillers inspired the books he was later to write himself.
Colfer greatly admires Mark Twain, most especially the book Huckleberry Finn, regarding Huck as youth literature’s first anti-hero, and the first fictional character with whom he truly identified.
Colfer’s own anti-hero, Artemis Fowl, has now appeared in graphic format, winning several awards: a huge fan of the graphic novel, he cites Hellboy as his favourite. “I see the series as marrying action adventure, the supernatural, and redemption to create a perfect formula”. A bit, then, like Artemis Fowl.
Airman is a far cry from the mixture of magic, mayhem and technology Fowl fans have come to expect: set in the late 19th century it is a traditional romantic adventure featuring heroes and villains, palaces and prisons — and even a beautiful princess. The hero, Conor Broekhart (the surname is Flemish and Colfer chanced upon it while investigating his own Flemish roots) was born in a hot-air balloon, and always yearned to return to that element.
Unlike Conor, Colfer’s youthful ambitions did not include flying: he wanted to be a private investigator. “But I was rubbish at it,’ he admits. “In the end I had to commit the crimes myself so I could solve them successfully”.
The gravitas of the interview is quickly dispersed by a series of fantasy questions some authors find irritating but other’s delight in — fortunately Colfer is among the latter.
His response to a guest list for a convivial dinner party of Colfer characters contains surprising omissions; Artemis Fowl and Conor are given the slip — and, luckily for the other guests — Colfer’s personal favourite, the explosively flatulent dwarf Mulch Diggins (Artemis Fowl).
“The party would be held at Fowl Manor, and Butler (Artemis Fowl) would do all the cooking. The first guests would be Cosmo and Mona from The Supernaturalist: poor Cosmo has had such a hard life the party would be a real treat for him.
“I would also invite Princess Isabella (Airman) — she’s a kind young lady and would put Cosmo at ease and show him what cutlery to use. The final guest would be Victor (Airman), who is full of great stories.
“And in the background, I’d have David Bowie’s greatest hits playing — in fact, since this is a fantasy, I’d have Bowie himself, performing his songs live.”
Returning to his most popular character, Artemis Fowl, I ask what the criminal genius has on his iPod: Artemis is not a fan of modern music it seems, but he is fond of Carmina Burana, Mozart, and some operas — notably Bellini’s Norma (although not as performed by Maria Callas).
His Facebook picture? Not a portrait of himself, but some anti-nuclear symbol is most likely because Artemis is an enthusiastic environmental campaigner. And his cellphone ringtone?
“Well, Artemis has quite a sense of humour so I think he uses the Harry Potter theme tune as his ringtone ... ”
And on that note, we leave the slight grey-haired man with the mournful and mesmeric eyes to sip his mineral water. Colfer the comedian had the children eating out of his hands: Eoin the Adult seems to exercise the same enchantment. Perhaps elven magic is the only explanation.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
I don't think this was my favorite Eoin Colfer novel, but it was definitely worth the read. I really appreciated the fact that he hasn't pigeon holed himself into writing only a certain type of novel.
LibraryThing member LOL_WUT
Eoin Colfer manage to amaze me with his adventurous and interesting story “Airman”
I thought this book is great and is based on a topic not covered by many books. The author managed to make the main character go through many obstacles, as soon as he is done with one of them, he is immediately
He grew up wanting to become the first man to set flight, but soon all that is changed once he discovered a plan to assassinate the King, with him caught in between. Now, thinking his family hates and have betrayed him, with everyone else thinking he has killed the king. In order to set things straight he must survive a prison/work-camp, with only a single friend who is his cell mate along with a few lessons of sword dualing experience, and befriend a gang of criminals and finally achieve his dream of flight to escape and track down the assassin who has now also put his family in danger. Eoin Colfer will have you, like the character, racing through the pages towards an exciting ending.This is a great thrilling story which will manage to entertain readers of all ages.
I thought this book is great and is based on a topic not covered by many books. The author managed to make the main character go through many obstacles, as soon as he is done with one of them, he is immediately
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put into another one. Conor Broekhart, who is the main character in this book, was born in a air balloon to a wealthy family, friends of the king.He grew up wanting to become the first man to set flight, but soon all that is changed once he discovered a plan to assassinate the King, with him caught in between. Now, thinking his family hates and have betrayed him, with everyone else thinking he has killed the king. In order to set things straight he must survive a prison/work-camp, with only a single friend who is his cell mate along with a few lessons of sword dualing experience, and befriend a gang of criminals and finally achieve his dream of flight to escape and track down the assassin who has now also put his family in danger. Eoin Colfer will have you, like the character, racing through the pages towards an exciting ending.This is a great thrilling story which will manage to entertain readers of all ages.
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Subjects
Awards
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2010)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2011)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Honor Book — 2010)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2010)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — 2010)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2009)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Middle School — 2018)
Isinglass Teen Read Award (Nominee — 2010)
KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards (Shortlist — 2009)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
7.8 inches
ISBN
0141322217 / 9780141322216